Indiana women’s basketball has dealt with some tough opponents at the beginning of the Big Ten season. After facing six straight teams ranked in the AP Poll, the Hoosiers had an opportunity to earn their first conference win in West Lafayette, Ind. over Purdue.
However, consistent issues plagued Teri Moren’s squad once again. IU dropped its eighth straight game with an 80-69 loss against the Boilermakers on Sunday afternoon. Purdue (11-9, 3-6) takes back the Barn Burner Trophy, winning the rivalry for the first time since 2019.
IU (11-10, 0-9) got off to a good start, but faded quickly in the second quarter. By halftime, Purdue led 41-29 after outscoring Indiana 30-14 in the second. The Hoosiers chipped into the Boilermaker lead in the second half, but never regained it.
Turnovers were the most present problem on the court for Indiana. IU finished with 20, and Purdue’s 27 points off those takeaways proved to be a factor in the loss. The Hoosiers forced 15 of their own, but only scored 13 points from them.
Indiana continued to rely on its guards as its primary scorers, but it was mainly a one-woman show. Shay Ciezki looked fantastic once again, finishing with 37 points on 11-for-18 shooting. She also added a 10-of-11 clip from the free-throw line. Beaumont was the team’s second-leading scorer with 13 points.
The Hoosiers also struggled with foul trouble, another recurring issue for the team. IU had multiple players enter the fourth quarter with four fouls, including Ciezki. Forwards Edessa Noyan and Jade Ondineme both fouled out in the final period.
Zania Socka-Nguemen didn’t play in the game, sporting a boot on her left leg. She had played in Indiana’s last five games after missing around a full month in December with a leg injury.
Indiana returns to Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Thursday to face No. 7 Michigan at 7 p.m. ET.
